1. Field of the Invention
This invention involves a camera system wherein the camera body may be remotely controlled, and more particularly, in which the direction of the optical axis of the photo-taking lens of the camera may be altered via remote control operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is convenient if, when a camera operator takes a photograph at a distance from the camera body, the photo-taking lens' optical axis may be remotely controlled such that it faces the operator (subject) in the desired position.
Laid-open of patent applications Sho 60-139998, Sho 60-138522 and Sho 60-139076 show a system wherein the optical axis of the photo-taking lens may be moved to face a set direction in relation in the remote control device via operation of a pan head drive motor, when a pan head attached to the camera has received a signal transmitted from a remote control device.
However, because the conventional art does not calculate the angle between the remote control device and the optical axis of the photo-taking lens, the remote control device must transmit a continuous signal in order to move the optical axis of the photo-taking lens to the desired angle, through operation of the pan head drive motor. In addition, the aforementioned conventional art describes another embodiment in which the need for transmission of a steady signal is eliminated by enabling the remote control device to transmit information on the rotation angle of the photo-taking lens' optical axis. However, this creates the problem that, since the angle between the remote control device and the lens' optical axis is not calculated, the operator does not know what angle-related information should be transmitted in order to align the lens' optical axis with the operator, where the operator is not directly in line with the optical axis.
Moreover, the conventional art did not provide any means to inform the operator of the remote control device whether he or she was within the lens' angle of view.